Amazon might put how much the tariffs on items cost them, and the White House has hit back
The White House has criticized Amazon over reports that the company may begin displaying tariff costs on individual product listings—labeling the potential move as “hostile.”
The proposed change would show customers how tariffs introduced under former President Donald Trump’s administration impact prices. However, the move has drawn backlash from Trump’s team.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had just spoken with the former president about the issue and condemned Amazon’s reported plan. “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” she stated.
During a press briefing, Leavitt held up a printout of a 2021 Reuters article headlined: “Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm,” referencing it as part of her broader criticism of the company.
Amazon may soon start showing how much tariffs are increasing costs (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who previously donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund and attended the ceremony, has had a complex relationship with the former president.
Ahead of the U.S. election, Bezos announced that The Washington Post—which he owns—would not endorse a candidate in the race between Trump and Kamala Harris. The decision sparked significant backlash, including from within the newsroom. Bezos defended the move as a “principled decision,” arguing that newspaper endorsements “do nothing to tip the scales of an election.”
However, several Post columnists signed a joint statement criticizing the stance, calling it “an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love.”
In February, Bezos revealed that the newspaper’s opinion section would shift its focus toward advocating for “personal liberties and free markets.”
Despite tensions in the past, Trump recently made conciliatory remarks, saying billionaires like Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg “have been great” and noting that he now enjoys “a higher level of respect” from both.
Jeff Bezos has been pretty close to Trump in his second term, but might have attracted his anger (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Tariffs have been a central pillar of Donald Trump’s economic policy, with his administration initially announcing broad tariff measures targeting countries around the world—though many were later scaled back or delayed.
One exception has been China. Despite some reversals, Trump’s trade war with Beijing has escalated into a tit-for-tat battle, with tariffs on certain Chinese goods soaring to as high as 245 percent.
These steep tariffs mean U.S. companies importing from China must now pay significantly more to the federal government—costs that are often passed directly on to American consumers.
Reports that Amazon was considering displaying the cost of tariffs on individual product listings had raised concerns in Trump’s camp, as such a move could clearly highlight to consumers that price increases were tied to tariff policy.
However, Amazon told The Washington Post that it had no plans to implement such a feature. “Adding the cost of tariffs was never a consideration for the main Amazon site,” a spokesperson said. “This was never approved and is not going to happen.”
Reacting to the clarification, Trump praised Jeff Bezos for stepping back from the idea, saying the Amazon founder had “done the right thing,” “solved the problem very quickly,” and was “a good guy.”
Featured Image Credit: Mandel Ngan/Getty